Rope ascenders and pulleys as used for rock climbing, rescuing or lifting purposes, are generally well known. An ascender and a pulley block combination is also well known, whereas the present invention offers unique properties and arrangements, the advantages of which are listed below in the Summary of the Invention.
Past inventions that include locking sheaves and that incorporate some of the basics of the present invention are numerous. Inventors are aware of U.S. Pat. No. 7,658,264 issued to Mauthner, Feb. 9, 2010 entitled, Combination descender, pulley and force limiting rope brake; U.S. Pat. No. 7,168,687 issued to Thompson, Jan. 30, 2007 entitled, Snatch block, snatch block assembly and method of use; U.S. Pat. No. 6,601,829 issued to Graham, Aug. 5, 2003 entitled, Pulley system with gripping block and tackle for load handling; U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,894 issued to Petzl, et al. Dec. 8, 1998 entitled, Pulley with a pivoting flange and built-in jammer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,664,640 issued to Smith Sep. 9, 1997 entitled Ascending cam and U.S. Pat. No. 723,231 issued to Benedict Mar. 24, 1903 entitled, Pulley Block; all of which are listed here for reference purpose only.